Self Help Die Kits - And why Not? Terry Pratchett Argues For The Right To Die---When he Wants To.

The arguments for euthanasia are autonomy, mercy and justice; this debate arouses passions between those who support it as a voluntary aid in helping those who are already dieing and suffering and those who believe it is murder. The crux of the argument against any sort of euthanasia is that all human life is precious no matter what the quality of that life is.


Can we seriously consider euthanasia in cases of people who are suffering from dementia? These are some of the most vulnerable members in our society and to consider this course of action is not a light question. In a sense it kind of attacks the sort of society we believe that we have become; a caring, just, and for the most part respectful of the law society.


Tonight Terry Pratchett will present his case for euthanasia at the Dimbleby lectures and you can understand his position when you consider this smart intelligent and funny man now is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His high profile has highlighted some of the difficulties that are faced by sufferers and their families. The Alzheimer society do not call for euthanasia but are concerned with end of life care, with highlighting care issues that not only affect the suffer but also the carers.


Alzheimer sufferers in effect become unminded, they in the end are no longer the individual that they were but can live for quite a few years in this state needing constant care. Pratchett said on radio 4's Today program. "There are plenty of people like me who would like to die when the time comes to die."


We often live our lives believing that we make our own choices but the reality is that often how our lives progress is often dictated by circumstances that we have little control over. Often we seem to spend our days dealing with 'the cards we've been dealt'. Considering that we seem to have so little control over our lives can we expect to have any control over our death?


The argument for the sanctity of human life is based in our cultural and historically religious set of moral beliefs but I believe that now that modern society is a more secular society that people are considering certain aspects of what it is to be human. Many people are more interested in the quality of their lives rather than the quantity. They also want to assert the right to make choices - easy ones and hard ones. Should we have the right to choose whether to live or die? Off course we should! ultimately it is our life.


Luckily there are people like Terry Pratchett who brings these issues to the fore.